249 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION AT YORK. 

 To-day (Aug-ust ist) the British Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, commences its meeting- at York, the city in 

 which, three quarters of a century ago, this important society 

 was founded. John PhilHps, then Curator of the York Museum, 

 was its first secretary. The first meeting was held in the 

 Lecture Theatre of the York Philosophical Society — and this 

 small room accommodated all the members present. To-day, all 

 the largest halls and buildings in the city are necessary for the 

 sections to be properly carried on. For the present meeting 

 the citizens of York have made handsome arrangements. They 

 are hoping that it may be a * record ' meeting. Over three 

 thousand pounds have been subscribed towards the local fund. 

 In view of the fact that last years' meeting- was in South Africa, 

 and that this is the seventy-sixth anniversary of the foundation 

 of the Association, there should be every prospect of the meeting- 

 being exceptionally well attended. On the other hand, however, 

 the date chosen — August bank holiday week — is surely the one 

 week in the year that the convenience of the members cannot be 

 properly considered. Only those who have been bold enoug-h 

 to travel in our county, we cannot say take a holiday, in that 

 week, can form any idea of what the eff'ect of several hundred 

 additional visitors to York will be — for the convenience of whom 

 it is usual to charter numerous special trains ! We do not know 

 who is responsible for the unusually early date of the meeting- 

 this year, but we feel sure that it is exceedingly inconvenient to 

 many. 



THE YORK HANDBOOK. 

 We have been favoured with an advance copy of the ' Hand- 

 book to York and District,' which has been prepared for the 

 British Association meeting. It is a substantial volume, is 

 well printed on good paper, is of the proper size, has a most 

 appropriate design on the cover, and has not been spoilt by the 

 insertion of portraits of various local ' worthies ' ! The volume 

 is edited by Dr. G. A. Auden, who also writes the Preface, etc., 

 and the chapter on Pre-historic Archaeolog-y. The local com- 

 mittee has acted wisely in its selection of its editor of the Hand- 

 book. Dr. Auden is one of the few — very few — who take an 

 intelligent and practical interest in the antiquities of our county 

 capital. York, with its glorious associations and wealth of 

 historical relics, is, strangely enough, lacking in the type of 



igo5 August I. 



